Exoskeletons Could Improve Bowel Movements in Spinal Cord Injury Patients
%2Favatars%2FBUoTZ6lM79yi.jpg&w=96&q=75)
%2Fimg%2Fiea%2FMRw47xKz61%2Fexoskeleton-spinal-cord.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
According to Cedars Sinai, a spinal cord injury may "damage the nerves" that help control the lower part of a person's colon, the part of the body responsible for sending solid waste out of the body. This condition, therefore, gets in the way of an individual's "normal ability to store and get rid of waste." As a result, it often leads to constipation and uncomfortable bowel accidents.
According to a survey featured on Medicine Net, more than a third of men with spinal cord injury revealed that bowel and bladder problems were one of their most prominent problems after their injury.
But help in on the way. The latest research now suggests that physical activity and upright posture may improve colon function and that robotic exoskeletons may help achieve that. The exoskeletons aid patients by allowing them to stand and perhaps even walk.
The promising outcomes of exoskeletons were based on a study that followed 49 patients who completed 36 sessions of exoskeleton-assisted walking.
"We saw a notable reduction in bowel evacuation time, with 24% of participants reporting an improved experience," study co-author Gail Forrest, director of the Kessler Foundation's Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation in New Jersey, told Medicine Net.
"Our goal is to improve the quality of life of those with chronic spinal cord injury, and these encouraging results will help inform future studies on the emerging field of mobility intervention," added Gorman, chief of the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute.
The researchers noted that it wasn't just standing that helped with bowel movements but walking as well. The Kessler Foundation's Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation notes on their website "that recovery from spinal cord injury, long considered impossible, is now on the horizon" thanks to the ability to study "robotic exoskeletons and stand training with stimulation of the spine for walking."
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2023/04/19/image/jpeg/c7swxJ3a0owCJiYeIjsVxecpymbiF3xi3FsAw5hh.jpg "BloomX: Artificial pollination tech is revolutionizing how our growing planet gets fed")
/2023/05/28/image/jpeg/X1sB2puBpxN1VWCWMDkaa7Uwd2FUAdOP6AxTp8T8.jpg "NGAD: The chosen one - US Air Force commits to sole 6th-generation fighter")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/1JXrkwK7efWVsmu4aRFf4fdD1Ptufo7ZAU7UMPLd.jpg "US Carrier Strike Group can be countered with 24 hypersonic missiles, China claim")
/2023/05/26/image/webp/6Co80ZJJXboUOYLXIuCvkafLsBWpH8MROKX60PUF.webp "Hyper-luxury Bugatti tower will have its residents drive up to their floor")
/2023/04/05/image/jpeg/BVfneAe4S4eSm9AsHihbUCwz3GX76pxP4Q2N5199.jpg "Smart automation and AI, enhancing battery manufacturing in the US")
/2023/05/25/image/jpeg/xbqtdlTTlQ6wFUubr9etkXJZVi8dBYvahuUEjCzI.jpg "This architecture firm is introducing inflatable skyscrapers")
/2023/01/13/image/jpeg/2En4INJVQ0f36ThYz6DcLXJ5lqGL3uRwBhPYKq6k.jpg "Ghanaian prodigy's $3,000 DIY car made mainly out of scrap metal parts")
/img/iea/yrwQlbYa6N/untitled-1-1.jpg "3D fingerprints: The latest tool in the crime fighting arsenal")
/2022/10/07/image/jpeg/nuW3h0IdjfIxlXvsUOpAYAlacGpPLd67uVehj5SX.jpg "Could coffee prolong your life? Scientists think it might")
/2023/05/23/image/jpeg/WGiDzBgkMEB3MWU2C2FQaPjsdhaIUwtYZUSBvBiE.jpg "Triangles over circles? YouTuber builds funky cycle with special wheels")